Collapse of the Dragonfire
by Jade de Green Queen
Summary: Life as juniors is pretty normal - that is, until another pyrokinetic comes along. Her name is Incendium - at least, her last name is. Why is she so volatile? Are the rumors true? And what does the dragon necklace have to do with it? It's (mainly) up to Warren Peace to find out. Rated T because I don't know how easily people get offended...


Hello all! Well, I just watched this movie and got this brilliant idea. Also, I kind of bought this really cool looking Barbie (so childish, I know) that had black and red hair so that inspired the creation of a really really amazing OC. This whole thing probably isn't that great but I just had to put this up here. By the way, to anyone who's reading Wild Faerie Dance, I'm sorry but it's gonna be awhile. I just happened to find this one already written on paper so I typed it up and put it on here.

Ermahgerd, I need to work on my other fanfics I don't have tiiiiiiiime for this! And I have to do homework! Shut up Jade. Okay, sorry. Without further adieu, I introduce my story to you. Beware.

Pyromaniac

The new girl sent a heated glare around the room. Since the division between heroes and sidekicks had been erased, the classes had basically merged. Will, Layla, Shimmer, Clark, Ethan, Zack, Magenta, Peace, Avril, Telepathy, and Telekinesis made up a large portion of the class. Strangely enough, Avril resembled Avril Lavigne, and Telepathy and Telekinesis, the twins, were oppositely named regarding their power.

And then, of course, there would be Incendium.

Incendium was the 'official' name teachers called her by. Students already knew her by Pant-cinerator, Hothead, Fireball, or Armaggedon. Those who had a death wish called her Matches. The name was offensive, only to her, for a reason no one else knew excepting Telepathy and Telekinesis, and they were too frightened to tell anyone who inquired.

Peace noticed a notebook etched with a Ming dragon in her hand, tucked into some other books. _Odd._

In fact, Peace noticed practically everything about her. Black hair, with an overlay of bright, shocking red, extended slightly beyond her waist. She looked to be Oriental, but something in her features threw off the prediction. Red painted her lips, with a maroonish outline, and the eyeliner, mascara, and eyeshadow, all jet-black, shadowed her eyes. Incendium's eyes were an eerie, light bluish-silver, and they were mostly narrow-but for a sheer second, at the slightest pause between glares, he caught the moment-when a blink seems to slow down, and the eyelashes flare outwards. It was a look he had never before seen, especially from such a sharp and notably vicious female character.

Her punky, black/red/yellow clothing scheme nearly scared Will, when paired with her malicious glares, quite honestly enough, but Peace simply rested his head on his hand, semi-focusing on the lesson, whatever it was. Layla was cheery, and initiated conversation with the menacingly quiet newcomer. Incendium cast her inquiry a glance of pure irritation.

"So, what's your power?" Layla smiled.

Incendium blew out a sharp breath. "You don't want to know."

"Why not?" Layla pried gently, as a normal person would react to the given response.

The girl's legs crossed, and her books slammed to the floor, excepting the Ming dragon notebook. "Because you'll want to keep that red hair of yours, Ginger Green." Incendium kept an unreadable pokerface through all of her words.

"Hey, that's uncalled for," Will called defensively. "All she did was ask a friendly question." His intervention only provoked Incendium moreso than she had been. The room grew intensely warm while Layla tried to reassure Will.

"You'll regret this," and Incendium's hand-seemingly delicate under a lace netting glove-extended an index finger, turned slightly downwards, to Will, retracting it quickly into a fist that sat quietly on her desk. Something shined, dangling from her neck.

Will and Layla, of course, had their attention occupied with the teacher, although it was harder for them to concentrate given the uncomfortably warm temperature of the classroom. Peace, however, continued his observation of Incendium. The glowing 'ornament' correlated with the heat-the dimmer the glow, the less hot the room was.

Not that he minded the unusual warmth.

At that point, the teacher agreed with Shimmer (AKA Snowflake) that it would be a good idea to take the class out, and Shimmer cleverly took over the teacher's command.

"Since this classroom is an oven, and let's face it- the lesson is bor. ing., I'm going to let you all pick your theatre costumes ahead of time."

Luckily, the lunch bell rang to save the class the torment of ridiculous costumes. Peace lingered, thinking Incendium would look up. She didn't move, didn't scramble for the door, but waited until seemingly everyone left the room. Fluidly, yet maintaining her sharp, bad-attitude appearance, she got up. Warren strained not to turn around as the last person staggered behind.

The hallway had a midnight-on-the-moors feeling when those ahead of him disappeared around the corner to the cafeteria. The problem was, Incendium obviously had a temper, and he didn't have any clue to her ability, meaning there would be no defense he could muster excepting his own power.

Warren, about thirty seconds after entering the cafeteria, saw a nervous mumbling descend upon the students at tables. Incendium pushed past half the line, nobody questioning her 'authority,' given that she frightened even the administration. Shimmer, being ice and not having capacity to face Incendium for her signature 'Queen Bee' spot, stayed a polite distance from her.

"Look, Incendium, I apologize if I offended you-" Layla continued a genuine attempt to welcome the new girl kindly - in vain, it seemed.

"Don't _ever_ mess with me again."

Incendium turned sharply on her, necklace gleaming. Only Warren Peace, of course, would have noticed the supposed coincidence. Silvery-blue eyes flashed violently, retreating to a forward facing position as soon as they had impulsively warned Layla. Layla, having a close view, could not make out anything other than pure maliciousness in Incendium.

"What's her problem? I don't understand. Did I say something?" Layla asked of Will, who was as clueless himself concerning the bitterness of the strange girl.

"Maybe Incendium is just exactly how she looks," Will shrugged. "She's starting to remind me of Shimmer."

Avril poked Will sharply. "No, Shimmer's a wimp. Peace might like wimps -" Avril smiled mischievously, peeking behind her (because Avril's sole enjoyment in life was irking the patience of others) - "but Incendium's tough. I wouldn't mess with her." Since the annoying female imp had the power of invisibility and dissipation, no one could retaliate to her peevish remarks. She was the sophomore among juniors, and had earned such a reputation that she wasn't widely accepted at any tables. Her main reason of sitting with Layla, her mentor, was obviously questionable.

The four sat down next to Zack, Magenta, Ethan, and Clark, Shimmer's unfortunate "boyfriend." He was, actually, more like a pet of hers than a human being. Clark was the only person Avril lessened her picking to, since his situation was so pitiful. Of course, he couldn't do much about Shimmer's ways (her continual flirtatiousness) but he tried, and they accepted the cryokinetic for that reason only.

Ethan, however, with the exception of the item Will and Layla, and Peace, was the main target of Avril's torment. "Popsicle" was her favorite wretched nickname, thus, he was eternally dubbed. Sometimes he was "Puddle," "Puddly," and other variations of the name, but she followed the same basic principle.

"Hey Peace. Warren. You. Person." Avril laughed, just as she did before making a horrible comment, thus earning an aggravated sigh.

"How's Shimmer?" The smirk grew wider on Managé's face.

"I _don't_ like her," Warren snapped. Layla frowned at both.

"Snappiness is petty. And Avril, stop it."

Avril, shamed by her upperclassman - rather, upperclass_woman_, since Layla was a rigid feminist - picked at the cafeteria food instead of giggling hyperactively. Magenta, following Avril's reproval, picked up her mischievous nature and decided to egg her on. Thus was Avril's influence.

"Maybe Incendium's the lucky fortune cookie...not Shimmer."

"No." Will shook his head, partially out of annoyance and partly in disbelief of what he had heard.

Avril's devious grin returned to her face, and cleared any remembrance of Layla's chiding out of her head. "There you go, Maj! Yeah, Peace, she's hot-tempered, Chinese...almost just like you. Maybe Incendium's more your type!"

Although Avril meant this as a joke, Warren was seriously considering it, if only to get a reaction from Avril. He could picture the priceless look on her face, the one that would appear if that did happen...of course, it wasn't going to. Instead, Warren turned around, to Telepathy and Telekinesis, blonde twins, the slightest bit odd, sitting directly behind the group.

"What's her power?" he questioned with all sincerity.

"Whose abilities do you speak of?" Telekinesis, the more artsy sister, replied, managing to smother her laughter at his supposedly 'meager intelligence' compared to themselves. Telepathy was much more kindly, but she rarely responded when spoken to.

"Incendium."

Telekinesis turned an ashy shade of white, turning around. Layla shrugged.

"Guess they don't know."

"Or they're terrified of her," Will suggested calmly.

Warren stood, glancing at the lone table Incendium sat at, and the awkward, mumbly sort of silence surrounding her. She didn't seem to care, and if she did, Incendium did an awfully good job at hiding it. The small black bag she carried, held only a teacup, that strange notebook of hers, (He only knew about the teacup because it had no handle. Being Chinese taught him a few things,) a container filled with what was presumably tea, and a spoon. It was relatively obvious that she wasn't eating.

Warren picked up his tray with a strange sense of determination that both Will and Layla noted. They followed, pausing briefly in doubt when his intention of welcoming Incendium to a group became clear.

Incendium felt the table shake slightly. She looked up to see Layla across from her, beside Will. She blew out another sharp breath before turning to her right and realizing someone else was there. The kid's hair was slightly longer, held back into a ponytail, and he was taller than her. She felt somewhat intimidated.

Layla caught a small sound of irritation that escaped from Incendium. She tried to start light conversation to clear the bad air that had already formed.

"What's that?" Layla asked politely of the unknown beverage sitting before Incendium.

The girl snorted in annoyance, looking up from the table ever-so-darkly. "Tea. You're going to make me make it evaporate," came a spitting response, or a pretty amazing attempt at one.

"So your power is...heat?" Will questioned the already-peeved Incendium, who then actually picked her head completely up, irked at the mere sight of the others.

"No. Carbon plasma, inferno, fiery colossus, intentional burning of anything I feel like. Anything _beyond_ the point of heat."

"Wait-" Peace turned to face her directly - "you're _fire_?"

"Get lost." Incendium pointed her silver-blue eyes back, doing her best at being mean.

"That hasn't happened in two family lines, separately, according to Sky High archives," Layla pointed out, getting excited, and Will contemplated how that had come about. None of the trio paid mind to Incendium's quickly bubbling temperament, her knuckles white with a tight grip on the table edge. Her eyes were narrow, and her lips pressed together fiercely, yet Peace could not have refrained from reiterating his inquiry.

"You're fire?"

"GET LOST!" came the most fury-filled scream Layla had ever heard. Incendium's arms lit up in blazing anger, part of the table melting under her hands. Layla fell back, fortunately, caught by Will, while Incendium completely pelted Warren with fire. After about a twenty-second fit of frustration, the girl realized her power had absolutely no effect on him, and her entire mood changed to a childish curiosity, extinguishing any piece of her inferno left. Justas quickly, she reverted to her original, sour persona.

"You're ice, aren't you."

"What?"

Incendium merely glared in return, offering no repeated comment. "Water, I suppose," she spat. Warren, slightly confused, realized she was referring to his power.

"No, actually-"

Layla continued the sentence for him, cautiously, as Incendium was still sizzling from her recent outburst. "-he's fire, like you." Incendium made a click-sound, both dubious of the given statement and irritated by the comparison. She slammed her notebook into her little bag, completely forgetting her teacup. The Ming dragon, a light orange, shone, and the pattern on the book matched the dragon on her neck.

"No, really," Will pressed, slightly adamant, "Peace-" he motioned - "lites up too."

Warren demonstrated easily by melting the table further. Incendium suddenly looked as if she were an animal caught in oncoming headlights, and the tea evaporated visibly, out of her instantaneous nervousness. Her expression was frustrated at this, her own fault - thought accidental, and she stormed out of the cafeteria. The exact moment her boots left the room, happy chatter resumed completely. Only then did the rest of the group, including Avril, choose to join them at their partially liquidated table.

"Hey, how's Incendium?" Avril Managé could not resist the temptation of releasing a festering comment to the mind of her favorite victim. She knew she would earn a reaction.

"Fiery. Temperamental. Mean," Layla reported, rubbing her almost-burnt arm.

"Maybe a little hormonal?" Magenta suggested. Avril laughed.

"I wouldn't say, exactly, _mean_. Just moody, I think," Warren said, and from Avril's point of view, that defense implied he was keen on Incendium.

"Yeah, she's _obviously_ just _moody_. _Warren_ could handle _that._" Avril started to say something else, but Magenta stopped her.

"Don't peeve him. He's got the _same_ power as Incendium."

"Yeah. Warren, didn't you almost kill Will one time?" Zack brought up.

"Nah, come on. You're making it seem like Warren has an advantage on me! _And_ what's more, you're comparing him to an obviously delusional person that none of us really know," Will shot back.

"I mean, really, Will's got _two_ powers. Don't know how I'd top that. And...uh, Incendium is-"

"-a pyromaniac?" Avril giggled, finishing his sentence incorrectly. To be honest, he couldn't stand anyone doing that, much less Avril. "And _I_ have two powers, too," Managé stated coolly, causing laughter to erupt amidst the group.

"Avril, you only turn invisible," Ethan pushed, and he didn't like Avril at all to begin with. He earned a haughty frown in response.

"_No,_ I can dissipate, too. Well - almost all the way, I'm working on it. And I am...unofficially, a _matchmaker_."

"Avril," Layla said quietly, sort of pulling her aside, "Maybe they're both Chinese and maybe you've seen Mulan _way_ too many times, but I would _highly_ discourage that you try anything of the sort. Not only is the Chinese culture complex, but it might completely backfire on you-"

"Having a _little_ fun, Layla," Avril dismissed her upperclasswoman and returned to her group's conversation, "but in _other terms,_ I can totally tell the _affairs of the heart_."

"Who uses that kind of language anymore?" Magenta huffed. "It sounds almost medieval."

"Too bad, too sad, oh well, boo hoo. Anyway, I have come to realize that fire and ice DO NOT work well - a) they are potentially harmful to each other, and b) just look at poor tiny little Iceland! It's like an all-inclusive natural disaster zone. Also-"

"Thank goodness you're done with that!" Warren exclaimed, throwing his hands up in a rare display of gratitude.

"I'm not done, don't thank me yet," Avril laughed, earning an aggravated moan from Peace. He rubbed his temples, muttering something indistinguishable.

"As I was saying, also, fire and fire - that, that can be read in two different ways. A is exciting, 'cause, you know, the obvious there, and B is that's pretty much the _definition_ of passion!" Avril snickered again, and Warren groaned exaggeratedly, hoping she would stop her ridiculousness. Which, of course, Avril never did, _especially_ when someone wanted her to, but, thankfully, the bell saved Peace from further torment.

Four boring and easy class period later, however, the first person he came across in Trigonometry was none other than Incendium. Surprisingly, her first-choice seat was in the very front, left corner. He thought she would have been one of the back-of-the-room kids - where all the delinquents sat anyway - but she was certainly an odd character. She seemed not to notice him, despite their conflict at lunch, instead keeping close to the wall and away from the chatty, gossipy flow of students. Apparently, even for teachers, judging her accurately would prove to be a problem. Incendium seemed to be a diligent student, eyes focused on nothing but her notebook. Sometimes her black pen stopped moving, and it looked exactly as if she was listening for the next point in the lesson. (Warren was anything but - his attention was more focused on how she directed her attention, and perhaps, slightly, if he could somehow direct some of it to himself.)

Mrs. Mez shivered every time her gaze passed Incendium. Whispers around the classroom pointed to the very fresh cafeteria incident and a report of Incendium reacting so savagely to some students that they lost a good percentage of their clothing articles. Warren was a little too busy thinking to pay close attention to the details. Incendium was just two rows before him, writing in an elegantly fast style. An idea dawned in his mind. Mrs. Mez hated him anyway, and he was passing so far (with flying colors, even.) Warren walked out into the hallway without the teacher's permission (they had long since established that should he feel the necessity to leave, he could - Mrs. Mez was, pitiably, terrified of pyrokinetics.)

_She forgot the teacup_.

Peace made his way back to the cafeteria, only to behold a wretched sight. Ceramic pieces were littered around the half-melted table and benches, none too miniscule. Most of the fragments were large, and only a few smaller pieces proved harder to find. Warren noticed Chinese writing on the pieces that made up the lip of the cup, and put some of the pieces together in order to read it, using his finger as a sort of welding tool. They read:

_I fight the dragon in my veins, around my neck. Fire, our release, the heights of our emotions bringing us to true power. The miracle of ancestor's past powers I carry._

Poetry wasn't exactly his forte - discerning the meaning of the poem would proably fall under either the English teacher or Layla, considering that they were both more experienced in the art form. The ceramic shards, at least, were not sharp enough to puncture his jacket's leather, and thus were safely tucked away. Warren headed back to Trigonometry, silently cursing the janitor or whoever else may have broken the cup, and making sure the pieces were secure.

Incendium cast him a short glance as he walked past, resuming her writing with an expression of nonchalance. The necklace flickered sharply for a moment, the dragon necklace - _dragon necklace._

I fight the dragon...around my neck.

Somehow the shining neck ornament had something to do with the inscription on the cup. Consulting Will and Layla about the partial discovery would be the most logical first step. At least today was a rainy day, and it was last period, meaning he might have time to ask Incendium - Warren wasn't the most logical person.

Of course, a rational human being would discourage the somewhat irresponsible idea of conversing with a person of such a violent, feverish demeanor...but that terminology also applied to Warren himself. Mrs. Mez sighed, discontinuing the lesson since the bell was about to ring anyway.

"Hey, Incendium."

As she rose slowly, not expecting any acquaintances to speak to her, Warren caught a dangerously quiet response. "What," she hissed through clenched teeth.

"You forgot this. I went back to get it but...this is all I found. The inscription seemed important...the ancestors and all...I thought you might want what was there."

Incendium didn't say anything initially, just cupped her hands and held the fragments. Her eyebrow quirked slightly. "Thank you," she said almost inaudibly, bringing an unsightly color to Warren's face. It quickly disappeared, with Incendium making a very thoughtful and curious face. "But they're in Chinese," she said softly, murmuring the words more to the pieces themselves than to Warren.

"I speak Chinese. And read it."

Incendium pocketed the shattered remains of the teacup and looked at Warren sharply. Any gentleness in her expression that had been there was now gone, a blazing anger returning for no apparent reason. Warren was now entirely confused, since there was nothing especially provoking about the sentence, not that he could think of, at least.

"And how do I know _you_ didn't break it?"

"I-"

"Go away." Incendium didn't give Warren the opportunity to respond, only storming out of the room and leaving the calm half of her personality behind. Warren found it odd that the anger transferred to him, but acted on slight impulse and minor frustration anyway, going into the hallway after her.

"I don't get it. All anyone tries to do is be nice to you, and all you do is get mad. Even I'm not that much of a jerk."

He watched Incendium stop. Her mismatched boots halted amidst the pushy flood of leaving students, unresponding to any shoving. The students, being terrified of her, realized enough to clear out a space for her. At her glance, the onlookers dispersed when the hall had finally cleared (or so it seemed.) Incendium turned gently, more frightening than any nastiness she could have mustered; the motion of her turn itself had a dance-like fluidity. Her grace was very unexpected, and Warren shook his head as if to rid himself of the notions he'd just been given.

"There's no reason for it," Warren stated further.

"There is...you don't wanna know, that's all," Incendium mumbled, her eyes flickering once and dropping their gaze to the floor, forgetting their rage momentarily.

"Yeah, I kind of do." Uncomfortably shifting, Peace crossed his arms. The hallway was too serene, especially for a hallway currently containing Incendium.

"I'm not saying anything here. Somewhere else. Not here," she said, looking down and cracking her wrist.

"Then...okay, the diner. The Chinese place? That okay?"

"Um-" She cracked her wrist a second time, wringing it afterwards. "Sure, I guess. Now go away."

Warren left the hallway out of politeness, not because the "go away" was any sort of menacing, but he thought it was appropriate. Well, according to the tense circumstances she'd just handled without trying to roast him alive, she deserved it.

A familiar giggle echoed around him.

"A date with Incendium. Ooh la la!" More giggling erupted, though the school was empty, and Warren, by this time, had figured the source.

"Shut up, Managé. You're a sophomore, I can still ruin your life."

The blonde/purple-haired girl appeared in front of him, arms crossed.

"Okay, okay, don't rat me out on your teachers. I want to be able to annoy them with _some_ element of surprise."

"You annoy me either way."

"Jerk," Avril said, content with playing the irritating younger sister. "Hey, you know Lash?"

"Stretchy kid. Yeah. Didn't he _just_ get out of detention?"

"I dunno. I think he's nice."

"Nice?" Warren looked at the impish girl in disbelief. "Nice as in almost-killed-everyone-in-the-school-nice, or nice as in going-to-become-a-reknowned-supervillain-with-seve ral-life-sentences-nice?"

"Nice as in cute," Avril shrugged, dismissing the topic. Warren shook his head.

"Oh, _I_ get it now. Trust me, not something you want to get involved in."

"Yeah, I guess not. Wouldn't be as fun as annoying you..."

"Thaaanks."

"Speaking of which, what were you guys even talking about? You know, before the part where you asked Incendium on a date," Avril snickered.

"I confronted her about her attitude - and no, this is _not_ a date - but I guess there's more behind it than we think."

"Correction - _I_ knew she had to have issues. Even loners and bullies want some kind of human communication. She's isolating herself by terrifying everyone. So obvi," Avril tilted her head, "but seriously. Volatile if you ask me."

"Same word I'd use."

"That's 'cause you like it like that," Avril giggled, poking fun once again.

"Shut it. This is awkward enough without you telling the world about something that doesn't even exist," Warren sighed. Avril responded with a punch.

"Silly. If I told anyone, I wouldn't be able to tease you _or _blackmail you."

"Because that's _completely_ reassuring," Warren drawled, tone dripping in sarcasm.

"You're welcome. G2G," she said, and that was it - the sophomore was gone.

"Well," Peace said to the empty hallway.

"I'm screwed."


End file.
